UK Population Mid-2025: 69.5 Million, Lowest Growth Rate Since Mid-2020 as Net Migration Falls to 222,900
ONS (1 Oct. 2026): UK population 69,483,900 at mid-2025, up 227,700 (0.3%), the lowest rate of increase since mid-2020. Net migration fell to 222,900 from 651,700; births lowest for 43+ years.
Key figures (mid-2025 estimates, released 1 October 2026)
UK population, mid-2025: 69,483,900 (69.5 million). Change from mid-2024: +227,700 (+0.3%), the lowest rate of increase since mid-2020.[1]
Net international migration (year to mid-2025): 222,900 (previous year 651,700). Immigration: 886,200. Emigration: 663,400.[1]
Births: 652,400 (lowest number for at least 43 years). Deaths: 647,500. Natural change: +4,900.[1]
Median age: 40.9 years. Old-age-dependency ratio: 285. Next: provisional mid-2026 UK estimate in November 2026.[1]
Terms: figures cover the usually resident population — ONS: "It includes only people who reside in a country for 12 months or more, making them usually resident in that country. Visitors and short-term migrants are excluded." A long-term international migrant follows the UN definition of someone who moves for at least a year (12 months). Natural change = births minus deaths.[1]
Growth slowed as net migration fell
Net international migration dropped from 651,700 to 222,900 — by this page's calculation a fall of 428,800 (about 65.8%). Immigration fell by 410,300 while emigration rose from 644,800 to 663,400.[1]
ONS: "The rate of UK population change resulting from net international migration was 0.3% in mid-2025, compared with 1.0% in the previous year." Net international migration still added to the population of all four countries.[1]
These mid-year figures differ slightly from ONS's provisional long-term international migration (LTIM) dataset because a different method and data source are used for Northern Ireland.[1]
Population by country (Table 1, mid-2025)
Columns: population / change from mid-2024 / % change.[1]
UK: 69,483,900 / +227,700 / +0.33%[1]
England: 58,834,800 / +227,600 / +0.39%[1]
Scotland: 5,545,500 / +2,200 / +0.04%[1]
Wales: 3,175,200 / -2,800 / -0.09%[1]
Northern Ireland: 1,928,400 / +600 / +0.03%[1]
UK figures may not equal the sum of the countries because of rounding. Natural change was negative in Wales and Scotland; internal migration was negative for England and Northern Ireland.[1]
Age and sex
Median age: UK 40.9 · Wales 43.2 · Scotland 43.1 · England 40.6 · Northern Ireland 40.6.[1]
People aged 65 and over increased in every country: Scotland and Northern Ireland +2.1%, England +2.0%, Wales +1.5%. Those aged 15 and under fell: England -0.9%, Wales -1.6%, Scotland and Northern Ireland -1.5%.[1]
Old-age-dependency ratio (people of pensionable age per 1,000 of working age): UK 285 · England 280 · Wales 336 · Scotland 305 · Northern Ireland 275.[1]
Females 35.4 million, males 34.0 million; males grew slightly faster (0.4% vs 0.3%).[1]
Revisions and caveats
Mid-2022 to mid-2024 estimates were revised with improved international migration data; mid-2024 is now 69,256,300 (-25,200). The October 2026 mid-2025 estimate of about 69,484,000 is around 3,000 below November 2025's provisional 69,487,000.[1]
ONS cautions that the estimates carry statistical uncertainty, which is "lowest immediately following a census, and greatest immediately before the next census", and higher for small areas and detailed age-sex breakdowns.[1]
ONS has dropped its earlier aim of making modelled admin-based population estimates the official estimates for England and Wales in 2026, and will instead improve the components of population change.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
The UK population was an estimated 69,483,900 (69.5 million) at mid-2025, up 227,700 (0.3%) from mid-2024, which ONS describes as the lowest rate of increase since mid-2020.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
In the year to mid-2025, 886,200 people arrived in the UK to live for 12 months or more (1,296,500 a year earlier) and 663,400 left (644,800), giving net international migration of 222,900, down from 651,700.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
There were 652,400 births, the lowest number for at least 43 years, and 647,500 deaths, so natural change added 4,900 people.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
England's population was 58,834,800 (+0.39%), Scotland's 5,545,500 (+0.04%), Wales's 3,175,200 (-0.09%) and Northern Ireland's 1,928,400 (+0.03%).[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The UK median age was 40.9 years at mid-2025 (Wales 43.2, Scotland 43.1, England and Northern Ireland 40.6), and the old-age-dependency ratio was 285 people of pensionable age per 1,000 of working age.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
There were an estimated 35.4 million females and 34.0 million males in the UK.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
ONS revised the mid-2024 UK population to 69,256,300 (down 25,200) using improved international migration data; the October 2026 mid-2025 estimate is about 3,000 below the provisional estimate of 69,487,000 published in November 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
ONS plans to release a provisional UK estimate for mid-2026 in November 2026; estimates of the very old (2002 to 2025) are due on 23 October 2026.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
Net international migration fell by 428,800 (about 65.8%) between the year to mid-2024 and the year to mid-2025; immigration alone fell by 410,300.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's calculation from the bulletin
Arrivals minus departures (886,200 - 663,400) give 222,800, 100 below the published net figure of 222,900; rounding may explain the difference, but the bulletin does not explain this specific gap. Net migration plus natural change (222,900 + 4,900) is likewise 100 above the published growth of 227,700; ONS also counts other changes such as armed forces personnel and dependants, so these rounded components do not reconcile exactly.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's arithmetic check
Almost all of the UK's population growth in the year to mid-2025 came from net international migration (222,900, about 97.9% of the 227,700 increase); natural change contributed 4,900.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's reading of the bulletin
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- Mid-2026 UK population
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/05/2026, 12:00
- Body characters
- 3,070
- Sources
- 1 source adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/05/2026, 10:10
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 10/05/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/05/2026 | First version. Read the ONS mid-2025 UK population estimates bulletin in full (overview, comparisons, countries, revisions, definitions, quality); quotations, table rows and figures machine-matched against the bulletin text. | Updated |
| 10/05/2026 | Independent pre-publication review (ChatGPT) against the sources; findings confirmed by the source text were applied. | Updated |
Frequently asked
What is the population of the UK?
69,483,900 (about 69.5 million) at mid-2025, according to ONS estimates published on 1 October 2026.[1]
How fast is the UK population growing?
It grew 227,700 (0.3%) in the year to mid-2025, the lowest rate of increase since mid-2020.[1]
What is net migration to the UK?
222,900 in the year to mid-2025, down from 651,700 a year earlier: 886,200 arrived and 663,400 left.[1]
How many babies were born in the UK in the year to mid-2025?
652,400, the lowest number for at least 43 years; deaths were 647,500.[1]
What is the population of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
England 58,834,800; Scotland 5,545,500; Wales 3,175,200; Northern Ireland 1,928,400 (mid-2025).[1]
What is the median age in the UK?
40.9 years at mid-2025; highest in Wales (43.2) and lowest in England and Northern Ireland (40.6).[1]
Why do these migration numbers differ from the LTIM figures?
ONS says the difference comes from a different method and data source for Northern Ireland's international migration estimates.[1]
When is the next UK population estimate?
ONS plans the next provisional estimate, for mid-2026, in November 2026; the next release of this annual bulletin is listed as to be announced.[1]